Pedal for self-playing grand pianos.



PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907. J. W. DARLEY, JR.- PEDAL FOR SELF PLAYING GRANDPIANOS.

APPLIOATIGN FILED 00'1.19, 1906.

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" W24 Mw Gum/@4 No. 858,263. PATENTED JUNE 25, 190vv J. W. DARLEY, JR.PEDAL FOR SELF PLAYING GRAND PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.l9, 1906.

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PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

J. W. DARLEY, JR. PEDAL FOR SELF PLAYING GRAND PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.19, 1906.

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swam H306 WWW/am UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JoHN W. DARLEY, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ERNEST J.

A KNABE, JE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Original application filed July 9, 1906, Serial No. 325,409. Divided andthis application filed October 19, 1906- Serial No. 339,712

To all wit/0112 itmay concern.-

Be it knoun that I, JOHN IV. DARLEY, Jr.,

- a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city and Stateof Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pedalsfor Self-Playing Grand Pianos; and -I dohereby-declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to improvements in pedals for self-playing grandpianos, this applicationbeing a division of a former application SerialNo. 325,409, filed July 9, 1906,

The object of my invention is to provide pumping pedals, which when notin use may e folded up completely out of the Way, so that the piano maybe played by hand in the ordinary manner.

With this object in view, my invention consists in the construction andcombinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing s'-Figure 1 is a vertical central section ofthe front of a grand piano, parts being shown in dotted lines Fig. 2 isa detail View showing the pedals and connected parts; and Fig. 3 is "apartial.

front view of a grand piano.

0 represents the case of a rand piano provided with a hinged lid 1), t efront part of which as shown at c is hinged to therear part.-d'represents the supportin leg. The ianois also provide with the usual 4sound oard e, and the ordinary keys, and

any approved type of piano action. It is also provided with the usuallyre 'h, in which are carried the ordinary loud and soft pedals, theloud pedal being shown at 3'. The parts heretofore describe are of theusual construction.

Underneath the folding lid 0 is arranged the box is, in which the musicrolls are placed.

This box is provided with a cover m hinged at n, and having a front 0hinged to. the cover m, so that it may fold entirely back, or may befolded up to form a musicrest'. Within the boxlc are located the musicrolls 1" and s, and the tracker board t, connected by the tubes at withthe pneumatic portion of the ap aratus. The box 7: containing the musicrol s, is only the front part of a larger box a, a partition 'wseparating the music roll por- -'tion from the box'proper. This boxcontains the tubes it, already referred to, leading to, the trackerboard. These tubes all run. backward and pass into a header w, and thispumpers 3. These pumpers are provided withthe usual discharge openingsand valves, movable covers and suction openings and valves, which are nopart of the'present invention. the box an to the top of the pumpers,normally keep the uinpers closed, and by the use of'the peda s, themovable members of the said pumpers are lifted against the tension ofsaid springs. v

2 represents the strin supporting-frame, provided with the usua tuningpins 1, to which the. strings are secured.

To the pumpers 3 the air passes'up through the passage 8 1n the bracket9. The air comes from the passage 12 through the air trunk 13. Provisionis made to insure an air tight joint between the bracket 9 and the upperpart of the air trunk 13.

14 represents the pneumatic box connected with the air trunk 13 so thatthere will be a free passage for the air from the box 14 to the pumpers.The pumpers are connected with the ordinary equalizer for maintaining aconstant air pressure in the air trunks, and the main trunk is connectedto the motor (not shown) for driving the rolls r and .9, saidconnections included therein the usual governor for controlling thespeed of said .motor, 1 X

7' represents the'loud pedal which operates in the usual manner. -Theordinary soft pedal 'i operates to shift the key-board laterally in theusual manner; The lyre h has'on its rear side near the bottom thereofiabracket 154, provided with bearings in which is mounted a shaft 155. 156and 157 re resent bent arms, one end of each of whic is mountedon saidshaft. 158represent bosses made integral with said arms 156and 157,

S rings 7 attached to the top of and secured to said shaft by pins 159.The

construction is substantially the same on both sides, and, therefore,only one will be described. The arm 157 has at its other end a laterallyextending cylindrical part 160, on

which the pedal 161 is loosely mounted, the

washer 162 keeping the pedal in place thereon. The washer 162 isarranged so that when the partsare folded down, as shown at Fig. 2, itsflat portion will rest upon the floor, and

the outer end of the arm 157v is similarly 165 and 168. .25

- pedal is folded up, and an angled portion 168,

and also with a long power transmitting portion-169, arranged at rightangles to the parts The part 169 is journaled at one end end in abracket 170, which is bolted or otherwise secured to the'rear of thelyre, and extends backward about the center of the pneumatic box 14. Theother end of said )art 169 is pivoted in a bracket 169 on the right legof the piano. Thepart' 168 of the lever 165 isprovided with a horizontalextension 172, on the reduced' portion of which a vertical rod, 17 3 ispivoted, being secured thereon by a pin 174. This rod 173extendsnp-through the casing and box and contacts with the under part ofa projection on the pumper 3 to lift it against the tension of thespring 7. in Fig. 3, the pedals are locked upand the means for releasingthem'will now be described.

17 8 re resents the key sliphinged to the front of t e key bottom of theiano and extending backwardly therefrom is the rod- 17 9,

the-outer end of which is pivoted to. said key slip as at 179 and theinner end of. which is bent down, as shown at 180. The rod 179 i'slocated at the lefthand end of thepiano, and

the lower down turned end of this arm is pivoted to the upwardly'extending'arm181 on the shaft 182, which extends underfthe keybottom and terminates near the middle of the lyre in the outwardlyprojecting lever arm 183, the outer end of whichis located immediatelyabove the top of the vertical rod 184., The rod 182 is secured tothe'key bottom in suitable bearings, one of which is shown at 185. Therod 184 isslidable in suitable bearings secured on the rear'of the.

lyre and terminates at its lower end ina hooked portion 186, which. isadapted to be engaged by pin 189 secured on the shaft 155.

Obviously, aslong as the hook 186 en gages the pin 189*, the pedalscannot be moved down, but when the rod 184 is moved In the positionshown- ;pneum'atic mechanism and eeaees downward, this lookingengagement is broken, and the pedals are then positively forced outwardby the tension of the spring 188, which is coiled around the shat t 155,and is fastened at one end to said shaft, and at the other end to thebracket 154. A spring 189 normally keeps the rod 184 in its upperposition, that is, interlocked with. the pin 187. The spring 188performs two 11110". tions. As soon as the pedals are unlocked it forcesthem outwardly until the con tor of the bearing 160 is about in linevertically with the center of the shaft 155. Gravity then acts upon thepedals, drawing them down, and the spring then resists the action 01.gravity and allows the pedals to slowly drop to the floor into theposition shown in Fig; 2. The arm 157 is bent as shown, in order toprovide clearance around the inner end of the pedal 161, which connectswith the link 163.. The links 163. and 164, and-the arm 157 have theirbearing points so arranged, and their operativelengths so proportioned,,that the pedals will automatically move from the folded position shownin 1 to the operative position shown inFig. 3, the loci of the centersthat move during this folding opera tion, being shown by-broken lines inFig. 2.

By the construction described,-it is obvious thatthedepression of thepedal 161 will, through theconnections described, operate portion ofthepiano. 7

V The'skeleton form of construction of the pedals and their location, asshown in Fig. 3, that. is to say, practically under the pneumatic box,does not detract from the usual appearance of the piano when the pedalsare folded up.

The operation of the pedal locking (lG'v'lCO is fully set forth inmyapplication filed July 9, 1906, Serial No. 325,409, and it isunnecessary to describe it further in this application;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire'tosecure by Letters 1 Patent ofthe'United States is 1. in a self-playinggrand piano, the combination with a horizontally disposed case pneumaticmechanism and a dep pedal support, of, pedals and. c actuating thepneumatic nice pedals being fo'ldably secured i 1 support, substantiallyas described.\

2. in a self-playing grand piano, the comthe'pumpers, thus operating thepneumatic bination with a horizontally disposed case,

depending 1 y i l pedal support, of pedals and folding connectrons foractuating the pneumatic mechanism, said pedals beingfoldably secured tosaid pedal support, substantially as described.

3. in a seli-pla1ying grand piano, the combination with a' iorizlontallytispose I pneumatic mecharnsni and a depending with folding connections,and means for supporting said edals beneath the frame, substantially asescribed. a

5. In a self-playing grand piano, a horizpntallydisposed case, stringsand a string supporting frame a pedal support, a bellows mounted abovethe strings of said piano and overlying the front portion of the stringsupporting frame, a lever for 0 erating said' bellows. extendingforwardly eneath said case, a bellows pedal, and links connecting saidpedals to said support and to said lever,

whereby said pedals may have movement from an operative to a non-oerative position, substantially as describe 6. In a self-playing grandpiano, ,a horizontally disposed case, strings and a string supportingframe a pedal support, a bellows mounted above the strings of the pianoand overlying the front portion of the string supporting frame, a leverfor operating said bellows and extending forwardly beneath said case andlinks," one of which is jointed, connecting said dals tosai'd 'su portand to said lever, w ereby said pedas may have movement from anoperative to 'a non-operative position, substantially as described;

.74 In a self-playing grand piano, a horizontally dis osedcase, stringsand a string supporting f fa'me a pedal su port, a bellows mounted abovethe strings 0 said piano and I overlying the front portion of the stringsuporting frame, a lever for operating said belows and extendingforwardly beneath said case, a bellows pedal, a. link connectin saidpedal to said support, and 'a jointe link connectin said pedal to saidlever, whereby said peda may have movement from an operative to anon-operative position, substantially as described.

8. In' a self-playing grand piano, a horizontally dis osed case, stringsand a string supporting ame a pedal su port including two vertically disosed portions, a bellows mounted above t e strings and overlying thefront-portion of v the string supportin frame, a lever for operatingsaid bellows, an

extending forwardly beneath said case, a bellows pedal, a linkconnection from the rear end of said bellows pedal to said lever, and asecond link connection from the forward end of'said bellows edal to saidpedal support, whereby said bel ows pedal may be moved downwardly intooperative position,

and upwardly and rearwardly into inverted position. between saidvertically disposed portions, substantially as described.

9. In a self-playing'grand piano, the com bination with ahOIlZOIllZtLllY disposed case, pneumatic mechanism and a depending pedalsupport, of pedals and connections with actuating pneumatic mechanism,said pedals being foldablysecured to said pedal support,,means forlocking said pedals when folded up, 'andgme'ans for resilientlyresisting the action of gravity on said pedals when unlocked,substantially as descrlbed.

10.- In a self-playing grand piano, the combinationvwith a horizontallydisposed case, pneumaticmechanism and a depending pedal support, ofpedals and connections for actuating the pneumatic mechanism, saidpedals being foldably secured to said pedal support, means for lockingsaid pedals when folded up, and means for forcing out the said pedalsfrom the piandcase when unlocked, substantially as described.

11. Ina selfplaying grand piano, the combination with a horizontallydisposed case, pneumatic mechanism and a depending pedal support, ofpedals and connections for actuating the pneumatic mechanism, saidpedals being foldably secured to said pedal support, means for lockingsaid edals when folded up, and a single means or throwing out saidpedals a'short distance when unlocked, and for then resisting thefurther opening movement of said pedals, substanfamily as described.

12. In a self-playing grand piano, the combination with a horizontallydisposed case, pneumatic mechanism and a depending pedal support, ofpedals and 'means for actuating the neumatic mechanism, said pedalsbeing f0 dably secured to said pedal support, means for locking saidpedals when f 1 ed u and a springfor forcing said pedals outwar a'shortdistance when unlocked, and

for resisting the further 0 ening movement of said pedals, substantial yas described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. HARLEY, JR.

Witnesses:

W. Max. UUYALL, MYRON G. CLEAR.

